澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2014-08-06（在线收听） |
Higher toll prices have helped the Australian toll roads operator Transurban's profit surge. Net profit for the year rose 64% to 282 million dollars. Toll revenue from its CityLink road in Melbourne rose 8% thanks to a 5% increase in tolls. In Sydney, revenue from the Hills M-2 motorway rose by 35% after toll prices there increased by 19%. The company says its outlook for 2015 is positive. Investors have shrugged off a profit fall at the hearing implant maker Cochlear. As expected, full year net profit dropped 29%, or almost 94 million dollars. But the company did record record sales growth of 15% over the year to 821 million dollars. The sales boost though was offset by a costly legal dispute in the US, hence the profit fall.
To market reaction:
And Cochlear was the best performer on the Top-200 ASX List up 10% by the close. Transurban dipped almost 1% this afternoon. The broader Australian share market closed at a 2.5-week low on caution at the start of the earnings season. The All Ords down 22 points or 0.4%, the ASX 200 index matching that fall. And the Australian Dollar has edged up against the greenback.
The Reserve Bank has kept Australia's official interest rate at the historic low of 2.5% for a 13th consecutive month. It's the longest stint without a change in more than eight years.
RBA Governor Glenn Stevens noted concerns about rising inflation and property prices but says stagnant wages growth should keep a lid on price rises. |
| 原文地址：http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/azabcxw/2014/278383.html |